then to designe a place for the congregation to meet in but a matter belonging to order But there was more required to this day For it was not instituted only for order and policie that the people might know what dayes to conveene to publike exercises howbeit it was one respect Times may bee appointed for preaching and prayer on the weeke dayes by any particular Church But there is more required here a day to be obseved holy by the universall Church not only for publike worship but also for privat not onely for externall but also for internall which could not be done but by divine authoritie which is supreme and onely able to binde the conscience to internall as well as externall to privat as well as to publick worship as I have said before The last point which I am to touch is concerning the strictnesse of the observation Whither we be bound to as strict observation of the Lords day as the Jewes were of their sabbath The superstitious observation of the Iewes wee are not bound unto For they observed that day more precisely then God required They found fault with Christ healing of the sicke man upon the sabbath and the sicke mans carrying home of his bed They have had and have many foolish observations as not to pull to an herb on the sabbath nor to eat an aple which they pluck upon that day nor claw with their nailes in publike nor catch a flea unlesse it bite Let us then see what God hath forbidden them They were bidden â—ake that which they had to bake upon the sixt day and seeth that they had to seeth Exod. 16. 23. and forbidden to kindle a fire upon the seventh day But that which was baken and seethed upon the sixt day a part of it was not reserved to the seventh day but that which remained over unbaken and unsodden The text importeth no further for if it had beene baken or sodden they would perhaps have attributed the not putrifying upon the seventh day to the baking or seething It was food that might bee eaten without baking like comfites or fruit It seemeth then this injunction was given onely during the time the manna rained If this direction had beene to bee observed afterward they might not have eaten any thing which was baken two dayes before Is it likely that Christ and others bidden to the Pharisees house upon the sabbath-day had no meat dressed for them by baking of seething The kindling of fire was forbidden not simply but for baking or seething the manna as some thinke and therefore endured onely so long as the manna lasted howbeit the most superstitious sort of the Jewes in later times observed it It is noted of the Essens a strict sect of the Jewes as singular in them that they kindled no fire upon the sabbath-day They were commanded Exod. 16. 29. to abide every man in his place and not to goe out of their tents at lest out of the campe This was but temporarie Afterward they might take journey upon the sabbath to the Prophets or synagogues 2 King 4. 23. Levit 23. 3. Yea if they were not to journey for that the Scribes prescrived to them 2000 cubits that is a mile or thereabouts out of a towne or citie which was called the sabbath-dayes-journey But afterward they became more superstitious not taking up the Lords intent in that place of Exodus as the Jew that would not be drawne out of the jackes wherein he had fallen upon the sabbath-day So howbeit the Iewes should be superstitious now in not kindling fire that is no warrant that the direction was not â—â—â—oratie Some thinke this prohibition served onely during the workmanship of the tabernacle But let it bee granted that both the one direction and the other were to endure during the policie of the Iewes I denie that they were forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept of the decalogue They would and might have kindled fire notwithstanding of the fourth precept Their rest upon the sabbath was ceremoniall and figurative And because ceremoniall and figurative therefore saith Bellarmine and Dow after him with others it behoved to be more strict exact and rigid For the more exact the figure is the better it representeth and signifieth So granting that dressing and preparing of meat by fire were not a temporarie precept during the manna yet it depended upon the ceremoniall rest and typicall state of Gods people under the law They abstained from the buriall of the dead upon the sabbath-day 2 Maccab. 12. 39. because if any touched the dead or entred into the house where the dead lay or touched a grave was uncleane seven dayes Numb 19. 14. 16. and consequently they might not enter into the tabernacle Here a duty forbidden for legall uncleannesse which bindeth not us The prophanation of the sabbath was a capitall crime Exod. 31. 14. but this law bindeth not us The workes depending upon the ceremoniall rest or any particular ceremonie bindeth not us but only the workes inhibited in the fourth precept wherein the ceremoniall and iudicall precepts are not included but onely annexed to them as peculiar unto that people which was under the tutorie and paedagogie of the law Aquinas saith that the ceremoniall and judiciall precepts are not contained in the decalogue Ad secundum dicendum quod judicialia praecepta sunt determinationes moralium praeceptorum prout ordinantur ad proximum sicut ceremonialia sunt quaedam determinationes praceptorum moralium prout ordinatur ad Deum unde neutra praecepta continentur in daecalogo If then these workes were not forbidden by vertue of the fourth precept we are not bound to for beare them If our observation of the Lords day praefigure that blessed and glorious life which we expect as some doe hold then our rest should be also as exact and rigid because figurative Dominicus dies qui Christi resurrectione sâ—â—xatâ—â—e â— â—e ernam requiem spiritus corporis praefigurat saith Augustine But wee will not build strictnesse of rest upon such a weake ground It may bee fill drawne to resemble heavenly and spirituall things but that is not any end of the institution It is not â—â—puâ—destinatuâ— instituted for any shadow or signification though â—t may befitly applied unto such an use saith Willet Our rest upon the Christian sabbath is only subservient to the sanctifying of the day The strictnesse required of old by the vertue of the fourth precept is required of us As Whit maketh sunday an holy day only by the ordinance of the Church pag. 109. 150. so the particular forme and circumstances of resting are prescribed unto us saith hee by the Church pag. 135. meaning the Church governours the prelates So doth Bellarmine allow such workes as shall be permitted by the prelats or have beene used by long custome Tertiopera concessa à pralatis Quartò opera quae ex consuetudine sunt licita Our holy fathers the prelats paternes
Manna but when he had ended the worke of creation it followeth that then he sanctified Consider againe that in Exod. 16. mention is made of the sabbath as a time of rest appointed before vers 23. To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 25. To day is a sabbath unto the Lord. Vers. 26. But on the seventh day which is the sabbath They had neglected or were forced to neglect that day in Egypt where they were not suffered to rest on that day and therefore he putteth them in minde of it and exacteth the observation of it which was now neglected of other nations Consider againe that soone after when the decalogue was promulgate upon mount Sinai the reason given for the observation of the sabbath was not that the Lord rained Manna six dayes and desisted the seventh which concerned onely the Iewes but that hee created all in six dayes and rested the seventh which concerned all mankinde Were it not ridiculous to imagine that God spent six dayes in creating the world and rested the seventh onely for the Iewes to whome hee was to intimate the sabbath 2453. yeares after But ye will say what needed Adam a sabbath-day in the state oâ— innocencie I answer because the dressing of the gardâ—n was committed to him and he was to live an animall life which would draw with it some distraction Therefore the Lord would have a day appointed wherein he might be wholy sequestrat from other affaires Further howbeit Adam was in the state of innocencie yet his state was mutable Whereas it is alledged that there was no positive precept given to Adam in paradise but the eating of the forbidden tree I answer none meerly positive but that But this is not meerly positive but determinative of the indefinit time required by the law of nature which urgeth a time for sequestration Some thinke that Adam fell the same day that he was created and therefore that the sabbath was sanctified after his fall But the imposing of the names upon the creatures the precept concerning the forbidden tree the tentation of Adam and Eve c. move others to thinke otherwayes Lyd at agreeth not either with too short time or yet three yeares which were too long but with those who alledge eight moneth wanting a week that hee might be the more sensible of his fall and defection after hee had for a certaine space enjoyed the pleasures of that estate But suppose Adam fell upon the sixt day yet the sanctification of the sabbath after was for all mankinde and not the Iewes onely But yet we have no mention made that the Patriarchs observed it What then It is sufficient that it was instituted howbeit the observation had beene neglected But wee must judge more charitably of the holy Patriarchs that they were observant of the institution receaved by tradition from Adam They receaved the law of sacrifices and other positive lawes by revelation by oracle and by dâ—vine inspiration saith Doctour Francis White in his treatise of the sabbath Is it likely then they observed not a set day or wanted direction what day to observe or that the Lord would havâ— set any other day for ordinarie Some gather the observation from Noahs sending forth the dove the seventh day after her returne and againe the seventh day That it is likely Noah was taken up with holy exercises every seventh day hee sent forth the dove and that he sent it forth rather then then any other time because hee was craving and expecting good successe But I will not stand upon this Junius approveth the opinion of the Hebrew Doctours who all agree that there passed seven dayes betweene the going of the people out of Egypt and the drowning of the Egyptians in the red sea and therefore there were seven dayes appointed for the feast of the passeover He confirmeth their opinion with his owne reckoning in his annot upon Exod. 12. Vpon Deut. 5. he noteth that is was the sabbath that day Pharaohs hoast was drowned and the people of Israel sang that song of triumph Exod. 15. The Apostle in the Epistle to the Hebrewes chap. 4. proveth that there is a sabbatisme me or keeping of a sabbath yet remaining for the people of God and all beleevers whereinto the incredulous were not to enter and to this purpose citeth a passage out of the psalmes There the incredulous are threatned to be excluded from rest which was to come For there were two rests already past in Davids time the one beginning at the rest of God from his workes which were finished from the foundation of the world and the other when Josue brought the people into the land of Canaan The Apostles enumeration had not beene sufficient if the sabbath day had not beene observed from the beginning for he maketh not mention of another sabbatisme past before Davids time but two whereinto man entred There was no othâ—r sabbath then in Davids time beside that rest in Canaan except that which was from the beginning and consequently the sabbath observed in his time was all one with that which was observed from the beginning The rest of the sabbath is called Gods rest or sabbath because God was the instituter of it gave exemple himselfe to man and appointed it for his owne worship Levit. 23. 1. and 28. 2. Jesa 56. 4. Ezech. 20. 20. Exod. 16. 23. If the words of the Apostle were taken only for Gods owne proper rest or sabbath the Apostles reasoning had not beene pertinent for David maketh mention of a rest whereinto men might enter and were exhorted to enter in but men cannot be said to enter in Gods owne proper rest The sabbatisme which is to come is called Gods rest and yet men are said to enter in it Further if the first rest were so called only because it was Gods owne peculiar rest it would folâ—ow the thy sabbath enjoyned to man had beene omitted and the Apostles induction had beene unsufficient Requies sâ—bâ—ati dicitur â— ei tum foâ— maliter quia in die septimo quiâ— vit Peus à creatione tum exemplaâ—â—ter efficienter quiâ— quies hominum in sabbato cultus sabbati institutus est à Dâ—o ad exemplar quietis Dei in sabbato saith Cornelius a Lapide a professour in Lovaine And a little before after hee hath opened up the three restâ— the rest of the sabbath enjoyned to man the rest of the people of God in the land of Canaan and the eternall rest in heaven hee inferreth that the rest of the sabbath was in use before the law of Moses even from the beginning of the world or else the Apostles reasoning cannot hold Hinc satis clarè elicitur evincitur sabbati cultum requiem in usâ— fâ—isse apud homines ante leâ—em Mosis ab origine 〈…〉 licet id neget Abulensis in c. 23. Levit. 4. 3. ut sâ—â—i eâ—diem septimum homines colerent eoque à laboribus quiâ—sâ—râ—nt in
Exod. 16. 23. was a permission not a command or for preparation onely not for eating the day following Yea they not only might fast but did it usually at lest to the twelft houre as Hooker proveth by testimonies out of Josephus Justinus Suctonius Balsam upon the 66. Canon called the Apostles saith Wee fast not upon the sabbath 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lest wee should seeme to imitate the Jewes Augustine saith God spake nothing concerning dining or fasting upon the sabbath when he sanctified the seventh day nor afterward when hee gave precepts concerning it to his people Of these differences the reader may finde more in Altare Damascenum page 667 668 669. The Jewish sabbath which was the seventh day from the creation was abolished at the resurrection of Christ because it had types and ceremonies annexed to it which were shadowes of things to come The ground ceasing the observation of that day ceased also for the shadowes flee away when the body commeth in place Yea further I will yeeld that the abrogation was meant by the Apostle Coloss. 2. 17. and under the name of sabbath there is to bee meant onely the weekly sabbath which is more then White craveth Not that I thinke they answer sufficiently to those who will have the word to be applied to the first and last day of anniversary feasts which were also called sabbaths But because I thinke these to bee comprehended under the name of feasts whereof these sabbaths were the principall and most solemne dayes So that here is a perfite division of all their solemne dayes to wit that they were either feasts to wit anniversarie dayes or new moones which returned monethly or the sabbath which returned weekly I so thinke the rather because we have the like division 1 Chron. 23. 31. where the Levits office is set downe to offer burnt sacrifices unto the Lord in the sabbaths in the new moones and on the set feasts And againe in Esay 1. 13 14. wee have the like As for that that the word Sabbath is in the plurall number it crosseth not this sense for so is the weekly sabbath usually expressed by the Greek translaters of the old testament and in the new testament also Matth. 12. 1 5 10 11 12. Matth. 2â— 1. Mark 1. 12. Mark 2. 23 24. Mark 3. 2 4. Luk. 4. 31. Luke 6. 9. Luke 13. 10. Act. 13. 14. Act. 16. 13. In these places the word is taken either for one sabbath-day onely or for moe And so it may bee taken in this place Coloss. 2. and translated either sabbath or as the late english translation hath sabbath dayes The sabbath-day is expressed in the plurall number for the frequent and often returning By the way observe that the old sabbath was not reckoned among the Jewish festivall dayes Sâ—atiger saith Manifestò sabbata distinguuntur to wit Esay 1. 13 14. à magnis diebus The sabbaths are â—early dâ—stinguished from the great dayes which were all one with Chaggim The Iewish sabbath then seeing it shadowed things to come behoved to bee abolished Suppose it had not beene a shadow yet even as it was but a circumstantiall point of the fourth precept which is morall positive it might have beene changed for a greater reason then was the occasion of the choice of the former For the resurrection of Christ and beginning of his triumph after he had ended his course of humiliation was a greater reason for making choice of the first day of the weeke then resting from the worke of creation was for the seventh day before The first respect of necessitie required abolition The 〈…〉 congruity The first day of the weeke succeeded in the roome of the last day of the weeke and hath beene observed in the Christian Church from her infancie to this day without any change or contradiction The Apostles were conveened together that day when the holy Ghost descended upon them Act. 2. When Paul had stayed at Troas seven dayes upon the first day of the weeke being the seventh day of his abode the disciples conveened together to break-bread and Paul preached and conferred with them till break of day Act. 20. 7. 11. The originall hath upon one of the sabbath but sabbath is put for weeke because from the sabbath as the principall day they numbred the rest of the dayes of the weeke to the next sabbath in order first second third fourth c. of the sabbath and distinguished them not by the names of the planets As when the pharisie said I fast twice in the sabbath that is twice in the weeke Luke 18. 12. When Jesus was risen early the first day of the sabbath that is of the weeke Mark 16. 9. And Levit 23. 15. seven sabbaths shall bee compleat that is seven weekes Likewise one according to the forme of speach familiar to the Hebrewes is taken for first The evening and morning were one day that is the first day This place cannot bee trâ—â—slated one of the sabbaths for the Apostle stayed but seven dayes in which there was but one sabbath day Nor yet is it likely that the Christians did assemble upon the Iewish sabbath to their exercises Howbeit the Apostle went in to their synagogue Act. 13. upon their sabbath that was not for the observation of their sabbath but because hee could not finde the Iewes assembled together at any other time or place that hee might have occasion to winne them as yee may see at that time hee found occasion to deliver a word of exhortation Wee have the first day of the weeke expressed with the like phrase 1 Corin. 16. 2. where the Corinthians are directed to lay aside some thing for the poore the first day of the sabbath that is of the weeke or every first day of the weeke Now although this text of S. Paul maketh no expresse mention of Church assemblies this day yet because it was the custome of Christians And likewise it is a thing convâ—nient to give almes upon the church-dayes it cannot wâ—ll hee gainsaid but that if in Corinth and Galatia the first day of evâ—ry weeke was appointed to be a day for almes and charitable contributions the same was also the Christians weekly holy day for their religious assemblies saith White and to this purpose citeth Chrysostome in 1 Corin. hom 43. where he sheweth that the time was fit for collections because that day they had receaved many great benefites and the first of the sabbath hee interpreteth the Lords day So do the translations of the Bible expound both the former and this place of the first day of the week the Belgike the French the Italian the Spanish the late English Beza's and Tremellius out of the Syriack With frivolous cavillâ—tion doe some few to their great discredite preasse to another sense which is to the full overthrowne by Walâ—eâ—s and Amesius This first day of the weeke Revel 1. 10. is called not the day of the Lord as sometime in